He Who Knows 10000 Things
by seoul.knight
Summary: AU. A story about the beginnings of Unalaq's friendship with Wan Shi Tong and the spirit world.


A/N: Entry to Probending Circuit Round 7.

AU Time Travel, Jumping (Action), Cookies (smell)

 **He Who Knows 10,000 Things**

 ** _Wan Shi Tong_**

I have travelled through the time and space continuum countless times in search of all the knowledge that I can find.

None can be more knowledgeable than me; none can be any wiser than me.

I crave for knowledge like the Moon craves for the Sun; I will chase after it for eternity though I know deep down, I can never endeavour to own it all.

It frustrates me divinely when I see humans and spirits alike behaving so foolishly with the little knowledge that they have. Through all my years of studying them, humans especially, they seek only to destroy each other. Knowledge is to them nothing but game. I strongly detest their frivolous use of something so sacred that is: The Knowledge of the Worlds.

No matter how hateful those creatures may be, no matter all the filth that they breathe in and out daily, I can't help but find them fascinating. They are creatures so predictable in their habits, and yet so erratic in their irrational moments; so cruel to one another and yet so repulsively weak in the presence of the one their heart holds dear. They destroy themselves relentlessly along with the ones that they love and the cycle repeats itself for centuries as if none of them have been the wiser over the years. To this day if anything puzzles and disgusts me, it is those creatures: Humans.

Nevertheless, once in a while you meet someone of a worthy cause though these are rarer than gems. Rarity and brilliance shine off of this particular human like a diamond's would off candlelight. He has failed his fight through an imprudent human mistake and I have vowed to render any assistance necessary to achieve our shared vision; the very first I have shared with a human.

Thus once again I have travelled through time; back to before he had made his fatal mistake that had caused his life.

I see him in his kitchen though he cannot see me. I choose not to manifest my being as the strong smell of cookies has thrown me off guard. My mind cannot fathom that this is his home; the cookies are highly uncharacteristic of him since he has no teeth for sweets.

And truly, he has none.

There he sits in his high chair like a King, a rattler in his left grip and a bip around his neck. He is drooling saliva on the floor like a waterfall; an unstoppable force.

It suddenly occurred to me that I may have travelled too far back.

Another youth comes into the kitchen with bread in his hands. He races to the kitchen table and makes a quick jump backwards for the stool he has stood in front of; he reminds me of a mechanical spring. He begins rocking back and forth on his stool, grabbing on to the edge of the table and using it as a pivot. Human children are naturally insolent and extremely thoughtless.

It is in their blood.

The toddler begins waving his crumbling piece of bread in front of my favourite human; taunting him, teasing him. A typical human behaviour, humans enjoy provoking the calm.

My favoured human throws his rattler at the toddler, claiming a cry of pain as it hit just above his left eye.

My favoured human chuckles.

And so did I.

:

I enter into another world, the same one except with differing circumstances. I should know.

And there I see my favoured human, ice-fishing with a rod as if he needs to use it.

I do not reveal my form for he should never be able to see me. Dire consequences have been known to befall those who tamper with time but I am Wan Shi Tong! I am not human.

I move stealthily behind him, hover over him like a ghost.

"I can't believe Father! How can he still choose Tonraq after all that he has done? He wrecked Father's boat with his reckless waterbending, he got us lost out at sea and in the end, he couldn't even catch a sea-moose for our family! What kind of a Chief would he make? I could have done way better than him!"

His bitter words echo in the wind for far distances that only I, the wise owl can hear. This must be his favourite spot; a place for the future Chief to get away from everything and everyone and mend his ill heart.

 _You've got to put him away._

I see him stir from his faraway gaze. He looks up and around and I know for certain that he has heard my hypnotizing voice. I say it again.

 _You should be Chief._

He pushes himself up now, standing ramrod straight at normal human height; humans' favourite pose when they feel threatened.

My form, both seen and unseen tends to intimidate and humans should rightly feel that way.

"Who's there?" His voice is strong but I can see the slight trembling at the edge of his lips as he called out to me.

 _I have only throat, for only my verses define me_

 _I'm here for you to capture, but never to hold_

 _You can't see me but you can hear me_

 _My words only meant to inspire and motivate the bold_

"What- what do you want from me?"

 _What do you want for yourself?_

"What are you? Why are you talking to me?

 _You feel so down on your luck and there is no way out_

 _But I am here to guide you, to enthuse and enlighten you_

 _So use me for that purpose_

 _Let my wings embrace you_

"What do you think you can do for me? You're nothing that I can even see or feel. Why would mere sounds in my head be of any help to me?"

His arrogance I suppose is a defence mechanism seeded and groomed since his Youth.

 _You, I see, are blinded by rage and greed_

 _It burns you so you cannot see what I see_

 _I seek the truth with the purest of intentions._

 _I yearn for nothing more except for true guidance_

"You- you're saying that you want me to guide you?" He raises an eyebrow as his eyes glance furtively back and forth in search of my form but to no avail. He sees only what I want him to see and now he shall think what I want him to think.

 _I am the Whispering Spirit, I am without a vessel_

 _I whisper in your ears and echo all your desires_

 _I speak to none but those who aspire_

 _I will bring out the best in all your endeavours_

"Well then, isn't it you who will guide me and not the other way round? You only seek to confuse me, Spirit!" His fists clench in anger and I can see the coldness in his eyes. He is a human passionate about a cause that he has yet to discover and I shall be the friend to awaken it.

 _You want to be Chief don't you?_

"How did you know that?" His quivering voice betrays his bravado.

 _You wish to claim the title as Chief of the Northern Water Tribe from your brother._

"Is it wrong that I think that the interests of the Northern Water Tribe should come first and that it would be in their best interest to choose a compassionate and competent leader?" I notice the vein as it pops out in his forehead as he cries out with such vehemence.

Don't humans realise that their anger is their greatest downfall?

Nevertheless, he is a true friend of the Spirits after all and his interest echo of my own and at times, the greatest accomplishment in life is to die while striving for our own cause. His anger and vengeance shall be the death of him and I do not condone humans harming each other to gain the advantage but, for the case of my favoured human, at times such sacrifices are necessary.

He spins on the spot as I circle him, gaining speed at every round. The snow surrounding him lifts off into the air and surrounds him like a whirlwind.

 _It is only wrong if you do not pursue what you think is right._

 _I have seen you linger around the Spiritual Forest and your thirst for knowledge has aroused my curiosity._

 _I shall be your guide to what you do not understand, but, my guidance serve only as far as your own heart wishes to acquire._

 _You shall be a true friend of the Spirits and therein my friend, lies great opportunities for a future Chief like yourself, Unalaq._

 _:_

 _End._

 _What happens next is already in the series._


End file.
